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100 Fat Loss Tips For Optimal Results

Losing weight doesn't have to be a mystery. The following fat loss tips provide practical, real world advice that will help you get on track today.

Looking to lose fat? Fat loss can seem like a mystery, almost impossible at times, and when achieved difficult to maintain. Most of us don’t just want to lose fat; we also want to look good and have a high degree of muscle definition.

The following fat loss tips can help you lose weight, maintain muscle, or even get ripped and get those six pack abs you’re after.

100 Fat Loss Tips

1) Instead of picking a diet, focus on dedicating yourself to a new eating lifestyle. If your diet plan isn’t sustainable once you lose the fat, you run a strong risk of regaining most of what you lost because you will be back to your old habits.

2) Cut out as much white sugar from your diet as possible, including processed foods that contain added white sugar.

3) Cut out as much white flour from your diet as possible, including processed foods that contain added white flour.

4) Don’t starve yourself. Starvation is one of the worst ways to try and lose weight. Not only will you lose valuable muscle, but once the starvation plan is over you risk gaining substantial amounts of bounce back weight. Men should not eat under 1800 calories per day, and women no fewer than 1200 calories per day.

6) You do not “need” cardio to lose fat. While cardio is beneficial for improving overall health, if your calories are inline with your weight loss goals you do not need to perform any cardio.

7) When starting a weight loss plan, don’t jump into the deep end of the exercise pool and try to workout every day of the week. Start slow, with low intensity workout sessions and build gradually. If you get excessively sore only a few weeks into working out, you risk losing motivation.

8) Allow yourself one cheat hour or cheat meal each week where you are allowed to eat something that isn’t on your fat loss diet plan – within reason of course! Don’t eat an entire bag of chips and a quart of ice cream.

9) Fat in foods does not make you fat, excessive amounts of daily calories does. Make sure your fat loss eating plan has at least 20% of your calories from healthy fats.

10) If you want to maintain as much muscle mass as possible when losing fat, do NOT switch to lighter weights and higher reps. Continue to train with the same intensity and weight. If you tell your body it does not need all the strength it currently has, you are encouraging it to drop muscle mass.

11) Big night-time eaters should consider intermittent fasting. You abstain from eating for 16 to 20 hours per day, and consume the bulk of your calories the last 4 to 8 hours each day. This allows for a big night-time meal as long as it is within your daily calorie limits.

12)Abs are made in the kitchen. Performing endless number of crunches and sit ups will not “carve out a six pack”. Only weight loss will, and all that requires is fewer calories per day. Train your abs like every other muscle group – with a sensible number of sets.

13) Allow yourself to adjust your weekly cheat window around social gatherings and life events so you do not have to avoid celebrating “a little” with family and friends.

14) Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water and staying hydrated.

15) Addicted to ice cream? Try sugar-free pudding made with low-fat milk when you get that ice cream craving.

16) Hate veggies? Spinach hides well in most foods. Simply place diced spinach in a suate’ pan with a small amount of olive oil and heat gently until it wilts down. Then place the spinach into or on your favorite dish and you’re done! It’s virtually tasteless and adds a ton of nutrition.

17) Don’t just try to cut fat, work to build muscle. Extra muscle mass increases your metabolism, allowing you to eat slightly more each day without gaining weight.

18) Make sure you are getting plenty of daily protein, especially if you are exercising. Men should aim for a minimum of 150 grams per day, and women 100 grams per day.

19) It’s better to just try and eat healthier than it is to jump into a fad diet.

20) Cut out all drinks with calories. Calories from drinks add up quickly.

21) Store bought juices are not very healthy choices. They lack the pulp from the fruit. The pulp carries most of the fruit’s nutritional value, leaving you drinking mostly sugar and empty calories. You are better off just eating the fruit.

22) Sweet tooth? Strawberries and blueberries have very few calories. You can snack on these foods almost freely throughout the day without worry about gaining fat.

23) Drink 12 ounces of water immediately before each substantial meal. You will also want to sip water throughout your meal. This will help fill the stomach and reduce your tendency to want to overeat.

24) Treadmill or stairmaster cardio boring you to death? You don’t have to be chained to machines. Fun forms of exercise will burn nearly as many calories if not more. Walk the dog, play mini golf, have sex, swim or wrestle with the kids.

25) Know that cardio is not a magic weight loss bullet. Walking 2 miles on the treadmill doesn’t even burn off the average candy bar. You are better off dialing in your diet first before adding cardio.

26) Prepare your weekly work meals in advance. This will make it far less likely that you make a run for fast food or the vending machine.

27) Take healthy snacks to work like fruit, string cheese, almonds, etc.

28) Keep packs of sugar-free gum at work, in your car, and near your comfortable chair at home. If you get a craving for a snack, make yourself chew gum for at 15 minutes. This will give you something else to focus on.

29) Allow 10% of your daily calories to come from "junk" food. A little bite of chocolate can be just the thing you need to make it through a bad day.

30) Keep dark chocolate Kisses around, and allow yourself to eat just one every time you get a sweet craving.

44) No time for cardio? Decrease the rest periods between your weight training sets to 15-30 seconds. This will keep your heart pumping, and calories burning.

45) For an intense weight training boost, slow down your reps to a 4 second count. This will make each set incredible taxing.

46) Consider using high intensity interval training (HIIT cardio) instead of treadmill grinding. Studies indicate that HIIT is a very effective fat burner.

47) Take the stairs, everywhere.

48) Park in the furthest possible spot from the door, everywhere.

49) Avoid as many processed foods as possible. Use this rule when buying food…the fewer the ingredients and chemicals, the better!

50) Avoid margarine. It is a fake food. You are better off eating a small portion of butter. Butter is nutritionally dense, and when used appropriately can add a lot of nutritional value to a cutting or weight loss diet.

52) Consider using fullbody workouts 3 times a week. They are far more intense than they appear, working the entire body instead of one or two bodyparts.

53) Get enough sleep! Take naps when you can. You are more likely to cheat or binge when you are tired and weak.

54) Morning training might be just what you need to spike a sluggish metabolism.

55) The first week of weight loss will be abnormally high. You’re body is flushing water due to lower carb and sodium intake, reduced digestive demands, etc. Don’t expect to lose weight at this pace during the coming weeks.

56) Monitor your weight loss during weeks two and three of your diet. If you’re not losing weight fast enough, cut calories by 200 per day and hold steady for another two weeks before making any further adjustments.

57) Carb cycling can be an effective fat burning practice. After determining your daily protein requirements, and removing 20-30% of your daily calories for healthy fats, figure out the average amount of carbs you need per day, and then set up high, medium and low carb that keep that average. Cycle between these days.

58) Diet pills do not change eating habits. You MUST commit to a new eating lifestyle; preferably one that is centered around your eating habits.

59) Improve your workout performance with creatine. It is one of the most studied supplements on the planet, and it relatively inexpensive to boot.

60)Pre-workout formulas can provide the needed energy boost to take a workout from ho hum to hardcore. If you feel tired when exercising, or feel like you are missing an edge, sample a few pre-workout formulas.

61) Eat smaller, more frequent meals. This way if you start to get hungry, your next meal isn’t too far away.

62) Use a tested and proven workout routine. Don’t just head to the gym and do “whatever.” The more focused you are with your training, the better your results will be.

63) Before heading out to a restaurant, check the menu online and locate several healthy choices before hand.

64) Eat slowly and enjoy the taste of your food. This will also help prevent overeating, as your brain will have more time to process when your stomach is full.

65) Use a smaller plate or bowl. It’s harder to over-stuff.

66) Eat no more than a serving of any specific food at a sitting. A serving will be no larger than the size of your fist.

67) For major meals use the “one-third” rule. Fill one-third of your plate with veggies, one-third with carbs and one-third with meat/protein.

68) Research indicates that supplementing with glutamine may help prevent muscle loss. The more extra muscle you retain while cutting, the better.

69) Consider CLA supplementation. Research indicates it may help to reduce body fat, and it is great for overall health.

70) Create your own meal choices menu; one that includes side dishes and healthy dessert choices. Make sure you stock all ingredients for these dishes so you can have whichever one you crave at any given time.

72) Try something new and different, like hot yoga, hiking or taking a spin class.

73) Watch weight loss programs like the Biggest Loser. They are on Netflix, and available 24 hours a day when you need motivation.

74) Read body transformation stories found on Muscle & Strength. Not only are they motivating, but you will also pick up quite a few tips.

75) Keep a training journal, off and online. Track your progress in a notebook and keep it online in the Muscle & Strength forum. You will find that online communities are full of encouraging individuals with the same goals.

76) Keep an online diet journal. This will help you more precisely monitor calorie, protein, fat and carb intake.

77) Take a 5 minute breaks for every hour you watch TV and do some form of exercise – kettlebell swings, sit ups, treadmill. This may add up to 2-3 more cardio sessions per week, or an extra workout or two.

78) Try to get your partner to join you. Fat loss is much easier if your partner is working with you.

79) Eat more fiber. It helps to slow down digestion which will leave you feeling full longer.

80) Going on vacation? Plan a few active activities like hikes or biking.

81) Be careful about reaching for “low-fat” foods, as they often contain added sugar to make them taste better.

82) Be careful about reaching for “low sugar” foods, as they often contain added fat to make them taste better.

83) Commit to eating several servings of fruit each day. These snacks can help get you through a period of the “munchies.”

85) Always perform cardio after lifting, and not before. Maintaining muscle mass should always be a priority, not only for appearance but also for metabolism. Always lift weights when you are at full energy levels.

86) Be realistic…you’re going to have bad days. Don’t let 1-2 bad days pull you off course. Get right back at it!

87) Having issues understanding portion sizes? Pull out the measuring cups and buy a food scale. Food scales are available at Wal-mart for a very inexpensive price.

88) Set aside the diet soda and drink water or a whey protein shake instead. The sweetness of diet sodas confused the taste buds, and contribute to increased sugar cravings.

89) Learn to season your bland food. There is a world of seasonings at your disposal that are both healthy and tasty. Take time to visit Muscle & Strength's low calorie recipes and start experimenting with new spices and seasonings.

90) Dump your current yogurt and check out Greek yogurt. It is much higher in protein, and a better overall choice. Greek yogurt can also be used as a substitute for sour cream.

91) Learn to make veggies soups. Turn bland veggies into a tasty soup side dishes that you’ll actually want more of. Most veggie soups are low calorie, allowing you to consume bowl after guilt free bowl.

92) Avoid buffets and all you can eat meals at all costs. No exceptions!

94) Not sure where to start with healthy fats? A little butter is a great choice. Nuts, seeds, avocados, eggs are also wonderful choices.

95) Hitting the salad bar? Avoid fruit salads, as they usually contain syrups or sugars. You also want to avoid bacon bits, cheese, croutons and most salads dressings. Use a small amount of oil and vinegar dressing.

96) Use more salsa. Salsa is an easy way to add some taste to bland foods, from baked potatoes to chicken breasts.

97) Use your crock pot. You can let meats and veggies cook all day and prepare large meals with very little effort.

98) Buy a steamer and start steaming your veggies, chicken and fish.

99) Your scale weight can jump around for a myriad reasons – irregular bowel movements, a large carb or sodium day, etc. Don’t panic if your diet is on track but see a temporary spike on the scale.

100) Hate breakfast? Blend a fruit smoothie, with a scoop of your favorite protein powder and some yogurt.

About The Author

Steve Shaw is an experienced raw masters powerlifter with over 31 years of iron game experience. His best competition lifts are a 602.5 pound squat, a 672.5 pound deadlift, and a 382.5 pound bench press. Steve is also known as a powerbuilder. His goal is to help others build as much muscle and strength as humanly possible.